Local schools cautious on reforms

Sep. 19, 2011

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Expect an evolution in the way local schools evaluate and pay their teachers.

But don’t expect a revolution, with immediate reforms such as tying student academic progress to teacher evaluations, creating a merit pay system for educators and using a more in-depth evaluation system.

Those big ideas enjoy support from many parents, teachers, unions and state and federal government agencies. Meanwhile, changes in Wisconsin’s collective bargaining law could open the door to major reforms, because school districts no longer must negotiate with teachers unions over such issues as evaluation methods and pay scales.

But local school administrators say it can be complicated, controversial and expensive to make such large-scale changes in the way teachers are evaluated and compensated.

“We would need more time and resources,” said Kris Gilmore, superintendent of the D.C. Everest Area School District.

For a full report, see tomorrow's print and online edition of the Wausau Daily Herald.